Sharon Walker, PACS

Specialty Field Reimbursement Manager, GSK

Sharon Walker, PACS has more than two decades of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. She knew about prior authorization from a customer perspective but had never experienced it herself. She had a interest in getting into the managed care field with a focus on access and reimbursement. With a strong clinical background and at the time no hands-on reimbursement experience, she started in the managed care area with a consulting firm. With helpful initial training on the basics, she gained most of her experience on a case by case basis in the field.

“I really enjoyed walking into a doctor's office to help them navigate the PA process and get patients the medicines they need. It’s been an incredibly rewarding experience to be in this role and to know I am making an impact.”

As a new member of the GSK team, they asked if she'd participate in the PACS program. It was endorsed by her manager to become certified in the program.

“It was a really good overview of the entire process. I liked the opportunity to review other areas of the process, not just prior authorization. There are so many aspects of the access and reimbursement role and everyday is different, so this helped to broaden my knowledge more”.

"It's a great opportunity to be certified in the PACS program. It reinforces the valuable work that we're doing and it credentials us. I would highly recommend this program.

Since completing the PACS program, she's been able to talk to two of her colleagues who are interested in getting in this role and they both signed up for it on their own. Hearing feedback from them, she supports the program even more. “For them, it's great too. They're looking at it from a fresh pair of eyes.”

Even for those with decades of experience, there are still difficult cases that come up. Even the most straightforward claims can still have unresponsive health plans. I work with customers often who are new to the process and it can be frustrating for them. I try to provide help by asking good questions to try to provide solutions.

“Every day it's different and every case is different. That's what is great about the job.”